green crime

• green crimes


  • Illegal acts that damage the environment
  • this crime increased due to environmental damage created by transnational companies
  • problematic to define as many green crimes are legal yet have harmful impacts on environment
• south - 2 forms of green crimes 


  primary and secondary green crimes
• primary green crimes


  crimes that are a direct result of destruction of the earth's resources

  e.g air and water pollution
• secondary green crimes


  crimes that are a deliberate breach of environmental laws

  e.g illegal dumping of chemicals
• white


  green criminology

  argues proper subject of criminology is any action that harms physical environment or humans/non-humans within it
• zemiology


  the study of harms, whether or not they are against the law
• traditional criminology


  • argues that ‘green crime’ should be defined in a narrow sense - thus ‘green crime’ is defined as any activity which breaches a law which protects the environment.
  • defined by the criminal law.
  • It involves national and international laws and regulations concerning environments.
• Lynch - green criminology

  • focuses on the harm to environment rather than breaking law
  • a branch of criminology that involves the study of harms and crimes against the environment
  • they are transgressive criminologists in that not all the activities they are interested in would necessarily be of interest to traditional criminology: doesn't only look at those that break laws
• desertification - primary green crime

  • overuse of land to the extent that it becomes infertile
  • e.g Sahel Region Northern Africa - occurrence of long droughts and over exploitation of the land led to desertification
• species extinction - primary green crime

  • impacts of other forms of green crime on habitat of animals and illegal abuse of animals
  • estimated 50% of the worlds species of animals will become extinct in the next 10 years
  • includes export and mistreatment of animals
• organised crime - secondary green crime

  • sale of toxic waste to organised crime syndicates
  • illegal dumping of chemicals
• corporate crime - secondary green crime

  • sale of waste to private industries who export it to nations with less strict environmental regulations
  • outsourcing disposal of hazardous waste to third world parties who dump this illegally
• environmental discrimination - secondary green crime

  • using up resources of those areas in deprivation rather than targeting those in more affluent areas
  • e.g placing refuse collections in areas of high economic deprivation
  • shipping waste from UK to developing countries
• state crime - secondary green crime

  • often criminalise those protesting for cleaner air, water
  • e.g just stop oil movement
  • FBI categorise environmental groups as eco-terrorism